I love this recipe and have made it a handful of times, already. my husband enjoys it, too, but he is not a cheese-lover. any suggestions for how to make this recipe without the cheese? or maybe with a cheese other than goat cheese? thanks!

I make a similar salad with either garbanzo or cannelini beans -- you could try that in place of the cheese. It would add a little flavor and textural difference and make it more of a substantial dish. You might want to up the salt and lemon a bit, too, to make up for the missing cheese.

thank you, everyone. drbabs: you don't think you need the cheese to help lubricate (for lack of a better word) the ingredients during mixing? do you think I should increase the oil if I take away the cheese?

I make the pilaf with feta. It doesn't need the cheese for moisture; if I were to substitute anything I'd substitute something salty, like salted nuts (instead of the pine nuts), or capers or olives. The ham suggested by Sam would serve the same purpose.